pelota

noun

pe·​lo·​ta pə-ˈlō-tə 

1

: a court game related to jai alai

2

: the ball used in jai alai

Examples of pelota in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

To speed up the sport, Magic City has reduced the traditional fronton by nearly 60 feet (18 meters) and replaced the goatskin ball — as hard as a hockey puck — with a bouncier pelota that ricochets against plexiglass instead of the traditional granite wall. —Joshua Goodman, orlandosentinel.com, 28 Mar. 2022

Dubbed the world’s fastest ball sport, jai alai involves players hurling and catching a pelota with a cesta on a three-walled court. —Arian Campo-Flores, WSJ, 30 Mar. 2022

Athletes competed in a variety of sports and other competitions, including Basque pelota, croquet and tug of war, but there were no opening or closing ceremonies. —Kori Rumore, chicagotribune.com, 3 Aug. 2021

The games includes the centuries-old pelota mixteca (Mixtec-style ball) and variant called pelota de esponja (sponge ball), both played with decorated mitts that combine indigenous design with contemporary logos. —Carolina A. Miranda, latimes.com, 12 July 2018

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Old French pelote little ball — more at pellet

First Known Use

1807, in the meaning defined at sense 1